HOLY DAYS.
Saviour of infants, Thou didst rest, Helpless, upon Thy mother's breast; Saviour of children, Thou didst play. And grow beside her, day by day, All human life to soothe and save, Up from the cradle to the grave. Saviour, as low as Thou didst bend From heaven to be the sinner's friend, So high our nature lift with Thine, Pure minds and chasten d hearts to Till human things become divine, Thee. Amen.
Jesu, vouchsafe us, day by day To follow Thy humility, And offer, as we kneel and pray,`
And Thy eternal love once more God's image to the soul restore.
lordliest Child, O lowliest Lord, With majesty and meekness crown'd,
By saints and seraphim adored,
In swaddling bands of weakness bound;
ST. MATTHIAS' DAY.
408 PRAISE
Wisdom Who knows the hearts of allThe saintly life's beginnings, The traitor's secret fall; Our own ascended Master,
Who heard His church's cry, Made known His guiding presence, And ruled her from on high. Elect in His foreknowledge,
To fill the lost one's place; He form'd His chosen vessel By hidden gifts of grace, Then, by the lot's disposing, He lifted up the poor, And set him with the princes On high for evermore.
to the Heavenly
For on the golden breastplate Of our great Priest above, Twelve are the stones that glisten As throbs that heart of love; And twelve the fair foundations Of Salem's jasper wall; And twelve the thrones predestined Within her judgment- hall.
And when we cling too close to earth. Forgetful of our heavenly birth, And for the love of its poor dross, Despise Thy crown or shun Thy cross, Oh, let this festal day reprove Such wrong to Thine incarnate love. Amen
No mystic gem is lacking In that divine array; No empty throne shall darken The glory of that day: For lo on Twelve the Spirit, The Father's Promise, came; And Twelve went forth together To preach the saving Name. Still guide Thy church, Chief Shepherd,
Her losses still renew; Be Thy dread keys entrusted To faithful hands and true; Apostles of Thy choosing
May all her rulers be, That each with joy may render His last account to Thee. Amen.
A human body, for our sake; To share with us the griefs of life, Fts watchings, weariness, and strife; All that belongs to man, but sin, Thou didst this day Thyself begin.
100
ST. MARK'S DAY.
410 For all Thy saints, O Lord, Who strove in Thee to live, Who follow'd Thee, obey'd, adored. Our grateful hymn receive. For all Thy saints, O Lord, Accept our thankful cry; Who counted Thee their great reward. And strove in Thee to die.
THE ANNUNCIATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY.
409 0 SAVIOUR, who in love didst
take
They all, in life and death, With Thee their Lord in view, Learn'd from Thy Holy Spirit's breath To suffer and to do.
For this Thy name we bless, And humbly pray that we May follow them in holiness, And live and die in Thee. Amen. ST. PHILIP AND ST. JAMES' DAY. THOU art the way,-to Thee
411 alone
From sin and death we flee; And he, who would the Father seek, Must seek Him, Lord, by Thee. Thou art the truth,-Thy word alone True wisdom can impart; Thou only canst inform the mind, And purify the heart. Thou art the life,-the rending tomb Proclaims Thy conquering arm; And those, who put their trust in Thee, Nor death nor hell shall harm. Thou art the way, the truth, the life: Grant us that way to know, That truth to keep, that life to win Whose joys eternal flow. Amen.
ST. BARNABAS THE APOSTLE.
412
O SON of God, our Captain of Salvation, human grief, Thyself by suffering school'd to We bless Thee for Thy sons of conso lation, [ their Chief: Who follow in the steps of Thee